Lingerie: Avocado “Chloe Folie NF” in 70H

Even though autumn and winter are upon us, it is never a wrong time for basic coloured lingerie, something that most people call “nude” (which is a bit problematic as nude does not mean the same thing to everyone). Some work places require a white button-up as basic work attire, which is why you can never have too many skin-toned bras. When I first saw Avocado‘s Chloe Folie, I thought that this is a truly versatile yet pretty “nude bra” – it could probably work on multiple skin tones, from a fair skin like mine to deeper ashy tones. Avocado sent me this style in their NF style, which is a revised version of their old H-cut, where the straps attach to the bottom part of the cup. Here’s how I liked this delicate beauty…

The Design:  I loved the colour combination of this set right from the start – it was a great pairing of greige (greyish beige) and deep magenta. The lace is delicate and who does not like the little tassels at the front? As a lingerie blogger, you start to get tired of the old bows, which is why the tassels were a nice surprising touch to the design. Regardless of the centre gore adornments and the lace, the style of Chloe Folie is quite simple and thus work appropriate. The lace is very thin, meaning you can wear it under regular shirts without it showing through too much. However, it is not a seamless t-shirt bra so you won’t get a “braless” look with it, if that is what you require from your everyday work bras!

The shape is rather similar to the old H-cut, but it seems to be a bit less covering and pointy and thus for me at least, a lot more practical. There is also quite a bit of uplift, but the one thing I don’t like that much is how the balconette shape splays my breasts to the sides a bit. I like my boobs “at the front” as they make me appear bigger than I am anyways. Keeping them as compact as possible makes me feel more comfortable and look the size I actually am rather than looking wide and frumpy. The one definite upside of the bra is that Avocado seems to be working with much stretchier materials these days and even though the the upper panel of the cup is not exactly stretch lace, the cups seem quite stretchy overall.

The Fit: As I knew from my past experience with the Avocado NF-style, it would probably fit me nicely this time as well. I was right – my size still seems to be 70H with the NF style, but with the Chloe Folie, I would be wary of not picking a too tight band size. If you are between band sizes, definitely size up! This style is not as tight as the Lorca I reviewed recently, but it is still on the snugger side compared to my older Avocado bras.

The cups are still the perfect size for me, even on the roomier end of the H-cup which is excellent if you need deep cups. What kind of baffles me is the cup width-depth ratio; usually deep cups mean narrower wires whereas this Avocado style seems to be both quite deep AND wide. The underwires are a tad too wide for me personally, but I don’t find them pinching me in the armpit whatsoever.

When it comes to shape compatibility, my full-on-top breasts are definitely friends with Chloe Folie: the RV shape seems quite open at the top with this particular style and thus leaves me more room for my upper breast tissue, that sometimes can argue with a cup pattern like this. In general, I’d think this bra would suit many breast shapes if you are not bothered by the wideness of the cups.

I know they look like a different colour but they are not! The lighting is playing its tricks on me – the real colour is more of a mixture of both of the pics shown above.

Comfort: I like this set a lot but there is one fundamental problem with it and I actually mentioned it before already: the band is a bit too small for me unfortunately. Not as much to make me want to size up a whole size, but maybe half a band size too snug. I can close the bra no problem, but the rigid band does not conform to my body very easily, which is why I haven’t worn the bra a lot during long days at work. Otherwise there are no comfort issues with the bra really: the tacking centre gore loosens quite quickly after a few wears and I especially like the width of the straps which are too widely placed for me personally, but still manage to feel good without any chafing.

The bottoms on the other hand are fantastic! I love that Avocado has brought the option of high-waisted panties into their selection and they have nailed it right away. I have to say though that the Medium is a bit too large for me, so if you are between two sizes, I would advice to size down with these. The rise of the panty is divine: it reaches my belly button and covers my butt well. A covering comfortable style yet still very attractive in my opinion!

If you would like to test the Chloe Folie set, you can find on the Avocado online store for 66,92€ for the bra (60-95 C-L, Avocado sizes) and 33,96€ for the full brief (XS-XXL). If these are not the shapes and styles you prefer personally, you can find the Chloe Folie in other Avocado styles as well. What do you think of the Chloe Folie? Have you tried the new Avocado styles recently? Let me know in the comments! xx

Lingerie Review: Ewa Bien “Ratri B230” in 65F

Summertime requires some pretty light-coloured lingerie – at least if you go by the spring trends which include pastels every single year. Even if you are not a fan of pastels with your outerwear, it is refreshing to revise your lingerie collection every now and then with pieces that are a bit different from your regular wardrobe. Today we are reviewing the Ewa Bien “Ratri” in B230 which is beautiful summer-appropriate set for any fair gal out there. *Disclosure: This set was gifted to Jo by Ewa Bien. All opinions are our own!*

Design: The Ratri B230 is described as a push-up balconette, which I think is a Ewa Bien’s description for a regular padded balconette with one vertical seam right in the middle of the cup. This construction can be hard to get right, but it seems that Polish lingerie brands are masters of it. To be honest though, the one vertical seam does not help a lot when it comes to bigger sizes, so at least two seams are needed to form a better shape with say, FF-G+ sizes. However, Jo is wearing a Polish 65F which is a 30E in UK sizes, which looks great with even just one seam. The shape is very rounded, not rectangular at all like some bras with the same construction. The coverage is quite low, which is great for more open necklines – the true balconette style also creates a perfect Marie Antoinette cleavage which is the doing of the amazing uplift the bra offers.

The styling of the set is lovely – it’s a creamy yellowish beige that looks beautiful against the Finnish skin tone. However, it is not fully beige so under the whitest thinnest fabrics it might still show through! The embroidery is very delicate and has a nice rococo vibe to it. The bottoms are actually really cute too – even though they are made with a very practical Brazilian cut, they still manage to look very girly while the detailing is absolutely on-point, to say the least.

The Fit: As you may have already deducted from the pics above, the B230 was not the best fit for Jo’s breast shape. This is not the fault of the bra, it just wasn’t meant to be! The B230 is a rather shallow and wide balconette shape for a Polish brand, but then again, Polish are famous for trying to cater for multiple breast shapes, even within one brand. Jo likes her bras quite like me; moderately deep and with average-width wires. This balconette shape reminds me more of the regular “British” shape of bras – a bit too shallow and wide for most breast shapes. However, let’s not forget that there are people who definitely need these kinds of bras, so there is a market there.

The sizing with the B230 Ratri was pretty much on par with most Ewa Bien bras, if not a little on the smaller side with the cups. I would perhaps suggest sizing up in the cup if you are between sizes! The 65-band was quite loose for Jo, but that is understandable as her underbust measures around 26″ (so she is better off with a 28/ 60 band with most brands). She is wearing the bra in the middle set of hooks meaning a 60 band would have been a better choice with this bra. Unfortunately, Ewa Bien does not offer 60 bands quite yet, but let’s hope that is something they will consider in the future!

Comfort: As the fit of the bra is not the best for Jo, nor is the comfort aspect of it either. This is something that we like to preach here at 2COP – the right size AND the right style are crucial to one’s comfort when it comes to bras, so something that does not fit your body, will not likely be as comfortable as a bra with eg the right length and height of underwires. With the B230 Ratri it appeared to be exactly the wires that were the problem for Jo: they were cut too high and shaped wider, which meant they wouldn’t sit at the right spot for her. Jo is tiny, so she needs her cup height pretty low near the armpits to avoid chafing and with this particular style, the wires and the cup edge were just too high for her body.

If I could think of someone who the B230 would be perfect for, I would probably say someone who wears a bigger band size and small to average cup size, and someone who has shallower breast shape with a wide breast root. This someone could perhaps be one of our own guest bloggers, Miss T. Even though this is a balconette shape which are usually very open at the top, this particular style is actually quite closed at top, which is why it does not require a lot of fullness at the top part of the breasts. What I think suits everyone with this bra though are the straps – they are fully adjustable and detachable meaning you can make them work for a variety of body shapes and heights.

As said before, the true highlight of the set are the panties though. They are beautifully made and look amazing on Jo – they are also quite practical and have a seamless look at the back, if you don’t mind the little bow. The lace on the legs is placed well with just the right width and also with the softest stretch lace material that will adjust to your body, no matter its shape.

If you think this set could work for you, please check out Ewa Bien’s online store to make a purchase with them. The B230 Ratri goes up to H-cup with the smaller band sizes, so it’s actually quite full-bust friendly unless you have crossed the FF+ barrier like myself. The bra sets you back at 159 zl and the Brazilian briefs at 89 zl.  If you are based in USA, the easiest way to order would probably be through Luxury Goddess, who offer a great selection of Polish brands for US customers. What do you think of the B230 Ratri? Let me know in the comments! 

Bradrobe Essentials for 2015 – Review of Avocado “Essentia” in 70H

Have you met Avocado yet? Well, I reviewed their “Annick in Love” and “Caprice” bras a while ago and fell in love with their luxurious lingerie instantly. The aesthetics are great for someone looking for sophisticated elegance combined to great materials and superior construction. The new Essentia range is a simple yet pretty style that offers two basic colours; black, and beige. The people at Avocado were so kind to send me not one but two Essentias to try out – just the basic colours I always need in my bradrobe. Here’s how I liked my gorgeous essentials…

The Design: The pictures on the Avocado website don’t do justice for the looks of Essentia as the materials are truly gorgeous and there is actually a lovely little pattern to the mesh-kind-of overlay of the bra. I opted the Essentia in the K-shape since I had figured it would be the best Avocado shape for me, based on my Annick in Love trial in the past. The shape is great for my boobs and the bra gives me a great deal of uplift. I would say Avocado is the master of great construction when it comes to bras and I never see them do any weird shapes that would make my boobs look sad and droopy – this however is something I always expect from Polish brands as they do have a long history of making bras.

The Fit: I was weighing on whether I should go for my regular 70H with Avocado or go up a cup size to a 70J. Luckily, I followed their size chart and decided I was still more an H-cup with them as the J would require a 106 cm bust and mine is 103-104 at the moment. The Essentia is a great fit like it’s counterpart Annick in Love and I adore how well it suits its purpose as an everyday essential.

The band is really firm at first so don’t chicken out if you get a bit of back bulge! Mine disappeared in a few days as the band loosened up. This needs to be taken into consideration when choosing the band size though: when you measure according to the website you extract 5 cm from your underbust measurement when measuring in cm’s. If you fall between band sizes, I would suggest you take the smaller one. I am 75 under my bust and that gives me an accurate band size of 70 so I am wearing the exact right size at the moment.

The cups are deep and the wires narrow-ish but not to the extent that they would hurt me. I have had trouble with some Polish brands making a bit too narrow wires for my breast root leading to pinching and aching after a few hours of wear. Even though the K-shape is said to be one of the narrowest shapes of Avocado, it’s still reasonable for me (for reference, I need medium to narrow width wires). It seems I would need a little more depth to the cups at the bottom but as I have stated many times before, this happens to me a lot and does not bother me unless it’s super obvious.

Btw, the hue of beige is a bit darker than in the pics so take that into account 😉

Comfort: Even though Essentia does not feature my favourite material cotton, it is made of high-quality materials that prevent the bra from irritating my sensitive skin. The bra is double-lined both at the top and bottom to give me extra support but also comfort: the upper layer of mesh could be too scratchy on itself so I do like the softer materials on the inside.

The band of Essentia is very comfortable even though it is quite firm before breaking the bra in. The band features three hooks and eyes which is always a plus for me as a large bust like mine needs all that extra support. The style has clearly been made to please all your everyday preferences as it has been crafted to be as simple and as comfortable as it can be. The straps are fully-adjustable but take note that they are quite short to begin with. So some great news for you petite girls 😉

All in all I am in love with my two new bradrobe staples and they have already got a ton of wear as they go well under all my clothes. If you fancy an Essentia of your own, the Avocado website offers international delivery. The bra sets you back at 49,79 € which is a rather good price for a well-fitting piece of luxury lingerie. The size range is generous: you can find the bra in EU sizes 60-95 C-K and in multiple different shapes. Remember to check the size chart as the brand has a rather unique way of sizing!

I hope you enjoyed the review and I also wish you the best year of 2015! Thank you for everyone who took part in my year of blogging once again and I welcome any new readers that want to come along this year. Also a big thank you to all my lovely sponsors who have worked with me regarding my reviews! If you are a brand or a company who are interested to work with me this year, you can find my email address on the sidebar. There is a bunch of things that I have already planned for the upcoming year, including some blogiversary giveaways in February, so make sure to click those follow buttons 😉

Suomeksi: Moikka kaikille ja hyvää uutta vuotta! Kuten viime postauksessa mainitsin, mun joulu lähti käyntiin kasallisella uusia rintsikoita, joiden arvostelemisella onkin mukava aloittaa tämä uusi vuosi. Tällä kertaa vuorossa on puolalainen laatumerkki Avocado ja heidän uutusmallistonsa Essentia. Avocado lähetti ystävällisesti minulle Essentia-liivejä kaksin kappalein, joten tässäpä olisi teille pieni arvostelu niistä!

Avocado on minulle jo ennestään tuttu merkki, joten koon ja mallin valitseminen tuntui melko helpolta. Vaikka kokotaulukon mukaan kuuluisin johonkin 70H ja J väliin, päätin luottaa vielä 70H:hon tällä kertaa. Onneksi tein näin, sillä koko oli jälleen kerran todella hyvä! Avocadon ympärykset ovat aikalailla linjassa muiden puolalaisten merkkien kanssa, joten 70 on minulle oikein passeli ympärys. Kuppikoiden kanssa saa kuitenkin olla tarkkana, sillä ne eivät noudata ihan perinteistä eurooppalaista mitoitusta.

Avocadon rintsikoissa ympärys voi tuntua aluksi melko tiukalta, mutta sitä ei kuitenkaan kannata säikähtää: ympärys kun venähtää melko nopeasti löyhempiin mittoihin, jolloin ylimääräiset selkämakkaratkin tasoittuvat sopivasti. Kupit ovat minulle tässä mallissa oikein sopivat, vaikka tilaa voisi kuppien alaosassa olla hieman lisää kuvista päätellen. Valitsinkin Essentia K-mallisena, joka on Avocadon malleista syvin kupeiltaan ja matalin peittävyydeltään. Muita malleja merkiltä löytyy A, H ja F, joihin voi tutustua heidän nettisivuillaan.

Kokonaisuudessaan Essentia tuntuu oikein hyvältä mallilta, joka sopii varmasti myös jokaisen simppeliyttä rakastavan suomalaisnaisen alusvaatelaatikkoon. Liivit maksavat vajaan 50 € ja Suomeen postikuluja kertyy n. 10 €, joten laatuliiveistä tuo summa ei ole todellakaan paha! Linkit nettisivuille löydät tuolta englanninkielisestä tekstiosuudesta 😉

Lopuksi haluaisin kiittää kaikkia lukijoita edeltävästä vuodesta ja toivon, että moni teistä innostuu lukemaan blogiani myös tänä vuonna! Muistakaapa myös seurailla blogiani noitten “Follow”-painikkeiden kautta, niin saatte ensimmäisenä tietoonne esim. helmikuussa järjestettävät synttäriarvonnat 😉 Kiitos myös kaikille yhteistyökumppaneille, ilman teitä blogiani olisi todella vaikeaa pyörittää. Jos löysit blogini kuitenkin vasta nyt – tervetuloa! Toivotan sinut tervetulleeksi mukaan alusvaatteiden täyteiseen vuoteen 2015.

Bra Review: Gossard V.I.P Lingerie “Phoebe” in 32FF

As many of you have already noticed I am a Gossard girl big time. There was no way anyone could have kept me away from their V.I.P range for long, the vintage feel of it screamed my name so loud I just needed to have my hands on some of their luxe sets. Lucky me, Gossard offered to sent me their new Phoebe set to try and I got my very own portion of V.I.P treatment. Here are my thoughts about this gorgeous set…

  
The Design: The Phoebe is a non-padded balconette shape bra that comes with a matching thong and a suspender-skirt. The whole set feels very luxe and is all over adorned with beautiful details such as shimmering embroidery and tulle. I love the colour of the set – it is a great “nude” shade for me with a touch of pink to it. The whole set screams ballerina elegance which I personally adore.

The style is what some people call “bandless” – the band doesn’t reach the lower curve of the wires meaning it comes up higher and looks more invisible. This is the very first bandless bra I have tried and so far it feels comfortable and fits well. This however, is not the case with everyone, I have heard some ladies saying it’s not the best choice for them fit-wise. The cups give me a rather low-profile pointy look which bothered me a bit first but actually looks great under more vintage-y dresses (such as my new Collectif dress, a review to come soon!). 

The Fit: I opted for my regular Gossard size 32FF but as I am now more near 30H with other British brands, I think I could have probably gone for 32G as my other boob tries to escape the cup now and then. The bra itself fits otherwise as should and feels the same size-wise as other Gossard non-padded bras. The cups are constructed of three parts which gives the cups their somewhat pointy shape and low profile. The depth of the cups is great for me, as they don’t feel too shallow. I would say Gossard makes probably the deepest cups when it comes to British bras – I would say they are on the same line as Cleo. So if Cleo works for you, I think you should definitely give Gossard a shot.

The wires are again prefect and I love that I can count on Gossard on this. Also the band feels like a standard Gossard band. I read another review of it saying the band feels a little more snug than usual but for me this feels like my other 32″ Gossard bands. So if you are between band sizes, I would suggest to size up. The Gossard 30″ bands fit more like 28″s making it a great choice for smaller girls as well.

The Comfort: This bra features the signature gateway back that Gossard does with most of their bras. The band feels rather supporting but I cannot help but want a wider band, just for some extra security. The band features two hooks and eyes meaning it does look rather subtle-looking which is of course a plus. Also the straps feel a bit thin for someone with a full-bust. However these things have not kept me from wearing this set, it really is a comfortable one.

I wore this bra and the thong through a massive move to our new apartment meaning the bra needed to stay comfy through two days of lifting, cramming myself into tiny elevators and a few nervous break-downs. Ten points to Gossard for keeping me supported and comfy during those days, cause bra rubbing or chaffing is the last thing you want when you are feeling super-not-comfy otherwise! The wiring of the bra feels nice on and the bra stayed put through the whole move.

I got the matching thong and the suspender-belt in size Small this time as I have grown myself a booty and it requires more space nowadays. The choice was spot on and both feel great on. I haven’t had the chance to test out the suspender too much as it’s truly a more novelty piece than something for everyday wear. However, I wore it around home for a couple of times and it truly looks really nice and covers all my soft bits giving me a more tucked-in feel. 

All in all, I am totally in love with this set and I hope Gossard keeps on making such lovely pieces for us full-busted gals as well! What do you think – yay or nay? Drop me a comment telling me would you wear Phoebe! If you are as excited as me, you can get yours on Gossard’s online store for £39 for the bra,  £18 for the thong and £45 for the suspender skirt.  

Smoothie update: The summer shade Blush

Hi gals! Hope you had a wonderful weekend, mine was fine but nothing special happened. Yesterday was a bit more fun; I visited IKEA with my mom and sister and we had great time! Another fab week startin but the weather is like crap here (greetings to my British fellow bloggers and readers, I hear your weather is awesome atm).  

Well, to the point. As I told you before (or did I, I don’t remember?) I have all the colours of Curvy Kate’s lovely seamless Smoothie bra. It’s one of my favorite bras and the one I reach for when I need my bra to be as invisible as possible. The first time I reviewed the bra I had it in the magnificent Rasberry colour in 30FF which is probably my favorite of the colours. However I desperately needed a nude bra as well so of course I went for the Blush Smoothie version when I had the chance.

Design: The looks of this bra still make me happy to wear a seamless or even a nude bra. The shade of the beige is definitely not as pink as in the pic above, it’s actually rather beige. For my fair skin it’s a bit dark-ish but it does not show under clothes as you can see from the pictures of me in that off-white shirt. (Love this shirt btw, it’s from Cubus and cost about 5 quids on sale!)

Fit: When I first tried on the the Blush Smoothie in 28G I noticed how tight it was in the band compared to other CK bras in 28 bands. The cups were also a little smaller than I expected, surely not as big as in its sister size but not a whole size smaller. I don’t quadboob at all but it sure feels more restricting than the my Raspberry size. The band stretched a bit after a few wears but before that it was a tad small for me as the hooks and eyes started to pull out of their seams.

Comfort: If I could re-choose my size with the Blush I’d definitely go for 30FF for comfort reasons. This bra is ok after a few wears when it comes to the band but I found other problems when it came to this particular size. CK doesn’t really scale bra sizes to fit differently on women with different sizes. As you may guess a woman with dress size 16 does need different proportions on her bra than a woman with dress size 8.

The wires were definitely a bit wide for me but what really bothers me is the way the cups come REALLY high up on my arm pits in this size and they really rub my sensitive skin. It’s not super uncomfortable and I endure it since I don’t wear white clothes everyday. However this bra is not really an ideal option for girls with petite upper body.

Hope this was helpful for girls looking for a nice nude bra. All in all Smoothie is great but really needs some trying on before buying since the fit is a bit of hit-and-miss. Tuesday is statistically the the most miserable day of the week but try to have a good one! xx